Dosing-tank system



Sept. 21 1926,

H. BEDDoEs ET AL DOSING TANK SYSTEM Filedbec. 1a, 1924 Patented sept. 21, 1926.

, UNITED STATES 1,600,306 PATE-.NT v OFFICE.

HUBERT 'BEDDOES AND JAMES W. COX, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO PACIFIC FLUSH TANK COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DOSING-'IANK SYSTEM.

Application filed December 18, 1924. Serial No. 756,717.

The dosing tank systems to which our invention relates are commonly used in connection with sewage disposal for the purpose of distributing liquidmaterial to filterbeds, the tank or tanks employed filling relatively slowly from the source of supply until a predetermined level of liquidis reached therein and then emptying rapidly by siphonic action by reason of which the liquid is more thoroughly distributed to all parts of the `filter or contact beds than would be the case were it fed thereto in the smaller streaml flowing' continuously from the settling tank or other source o-f supply. It has been found advantageous in some cases to'use a pair of dosing tanks operating alternately and our present invent-ion applies to a system of this character. In order that the siphonic action in tanks of this character, and particularly Where a limited fall is available, shall be as positive and certain as possible they have heretofore in some instances been equipped with means for shutting ofl" the feed thereto in the course of the discharge of their contents and a means ado-pted for accomplishing this result without the use of moving parts has been a so-called air lock by means of which a pocket or* cushion of air is interposed in the feed to the dosing tank at the proper time to interrupt the flow of liquid to the tank, the supply of air to the airy lock being Vcontrolled and furnished by a compression chamber provided for that purpose. In the prior constructions of this character it has been necessary to provide a separa-te compression chamber for each dosing tank. Our invention provides for the operation of the air locks in both ofthe dosing tanks of a system' comprising a pairthereof by means of a single compression dome common to the two tanks. Other features and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the following description and claims, it being understood however that the specific disclosure is for the purpose of exemplilication only and that the scope of the invention is defined in the claims in which we have endeavored to set forth ask broadly as the state of the 'art known to us will permit.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a plan view of a' dosing tank system involving our invention; Fig. 2 a vertical section thereof, partly shown in elevation and Fig. 3 a view of a vslightly modified detail.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings the dosing tanks are shown at 3, 3 with the compression dome 4 between the-m, this arrangement being convenient but not essential. The construction of.` the dosing tanks is identical and therefore the description of one will suffice for both. Each tank is provided with a siphon 5 larrangedin the bottom thereof, the longer leg 6 of the siphon being4 connected to a union 7 from which the discharge Ypipe 8 carries the liquid to the iilter bed or other place` of disposal. A riser 9 connected to the union'enters the bottom of the compression dome 4 above mentioned and one-Way valves 13 are interposed between the siphon legs 6 respectively and the union so as to prevent up or back flow into the siphons.

The siphons may be of any known and suitable construction and we have illustnated a known typethereof, in which the bell 10/ is provided with a vent 11 for breaking the 'siphon when the liquid in the tank has fallen to a predetermined point and a blow-off trap 12 by which the siphon is put into operation, these features of the construction shownbeing well-known to those skilled in this art. The inlet end fof eachA dosing tank is divided from the body ofthe tank by a dam 15 and is provided with a partition 16 dividing the `inlet. tank into the chambers 17 and 18, the former of which is connected to the inlet 14. The partition 16 is somewhat higher than the dam'15 and a feed opening therein is occupied by a casting 19 which provides a generally U-shaped passage for the liquid through the partition. The casting or feed bell 19 is airtight save for the pipes 2O and 21, the former of which supplies air to the bell or air lock andthe latter releases the air therefrom in the conditions hereinafter described.

The compression dome 4 is providedwith a vent 22 extending above the maximum level of liquid in the tanks andpreferably openinginto the latter at branches 23. The

'vent 22 projects through the top of theA compression dome downwardly into the latter a suiiicient distance to provide an air trap or chamberin the compression dome of sufficient capacityfor providing the amount of air required for theoperation of the air locks. An air pipe 2,6 extends upwardly from the top of the compression dome and is branched at 27, the branches leading to `to be now described.

the respective air supply pipes 2O for the air locks. With each discharge of either dosing tank a portion of the liquid there-y from is forced up the riser 9 into the compression dome and into the vent 22 to a level somewhat below that of the liquid in the emptying tank and sufliciently high to put the required amount of pressure on the air trapped in the compressio-n dome above the lower end of the vent. ln order that the air from the compression dome may go only to the air lock controlling the feed to the tank which is being discharged, each oft-he branch pipes for conveying` the air to the respective locks is formed with a U-shaped switch trap 29 which dips o-r depends into the tank other than that with the air lock of which it is connected. In other words the branch for supplying the left hand airV lock, as seen in the views, is formed with a trap dependingr into the right hand tank and the branch for supplying the air lock of the right hand tank is provided with a trap depending into the left hand dosing tank. A U-shaped liquid inlet pipe 30 opens into each of the switch traps 29, the other end of the pipe 30 being' open to the liquid in 'the tank in which it is located. When either compression dome can flow through saidv trap to the air lock connected therewith. Thus during the earlier and major portion of the discharge of either tank, or, it may besubstantially throughout such discharge, depending on the design, air Vis supplied to the air lock thereof from the compression dome while at the same time the supply of vair to the air lock of the other, tank is cut off.

As heretofore stated the pipe 21 provides for the escape'of the air from the air lock when the feed to the dosing tank is to be resumed after the discharge thereof has been completed, and the other tank has commenced to discharge. It is necessary, however, in order that the air lock may operate as su-ch that the escape of air through the pipe 2l be prevented until the emptying of the tank is completed. For this purpose pipe 2l is carried downward to near the bottom of the dosing tank at 4:0 and connected to a riser il to form a blow-off trap 60 which fills with/liquid when the tank is filled and remains filled, thus sealing pipe 2l, even after the liquid in the tank has been discharged and until the trap is emptied by the means A bell 42 within the compression dome, and extending nearly to the bottom thereof, is connected by a pipe 43 with af'pair of branch pipes 44 leadingv this time7 however, the feed blow-off trap in the other tank is uncoveredand the air from the pipe 26 being under suiiicient pressure for the purpose Venters the bottom' of pipe ,il in said empty tank and vdischarges the liquid therein. "his clears the way forV the air from the corresponding air lock to escape from pipe 2l through said riser 41,'leaving said air lock unobstructed for the passage of liquid therethrough. rlhe liquid from the inlet then flows through the air lock and spillsover the dam into the tank filling the same.

rilhc only essential difference between the modilication of the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 and that just described is that in the former the bellA 42 is omitted, the pipe 45 being` prolonged suitable distance so that shortly after it has received the air necessary to discharge the feed blow-off ltrap it is sealed againstfurt-her escape of air.

rihe operation of the various parts of the device has been described in connection with the construction thereof but the operation of the'system as a whole may now bedescribed as follows: The conditions represented in Fig. 2 of the drawingsare those that exist after the right-hand tank has been` dome has been compressed and is clearing the exposed feed biow-o'lf trapin the righthand tank, and the air in the corresponding feed air lock hasY begun to exhaust through the riser il in the empty'tank. Air isbeginning to Aiiow 4into. air lock 19 of the left-hand tank from' the compression dome, beingcut-off from the right hand air lock Vby vthe switch trap in the left hand tank.

During); the initial part of thel discharge of the siphon in the left-hand tank sucient air is Adriven over from thc compression chamber to the air lock controlling' the admission of liquid to said tank to force down the liquid ieveil in said lock sui'iiciently'to cutoff liquid new therethrough. As the liquid level in the inlet tank is maintained by the dam 15 the air lock remains closed until the air is released therefrom through the corresponding feed blow-off trap 16 in the manner heretofore described, which only takes place, however, when the right-hand dosing tank begins to discharge. In the meantime the right-hand dosing tank is fill-- inor and ultimately theliquid therein reaches a level at which it refills blow-off trap l1 and submerges switch trap 29, thus preventing the flow of air therethrough. In the meantime when the discharge from the lefthand tank ceases the liquid in the compression chamber drops down the riser 9, permitting said compression chamber to again fill with air. lVhenthe liquid in the righthand tank reaches the predetermined level the contents of said tank begins to discharge through the siphon thereof and the operation just described is repeated except that the functioning of the tank is reversed.

The operation of the system continues indefinitely and automatically.

We claim:

1. ln :i dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for ,discharging -the same, a common compression chamber connected to thev siphons, air locks controlling the feed of liquid to the respective tanks, connections from the compression chamber for supplying air to both said air locks, and means for releasing the air from the air locks.

2. In a dosing` system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging the same, an air lock controlling the feed of liquid to each tank, a. common compression chamber connected to the discharge ends of the siphons, connections from the compression chamber to the respective air locks for supplying them with air, a switch trap in the connection to each air lock, connections for closing said traps by liquid from the other dosing tank, and means for releasing the.

air from the respective air locks.

3. ln a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosingr tanks, a siphon in each tank .for the discharge of liquid therefrom, an air lock controlling the feed of liquid to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber to the respective air locks for supplying air to the latter, a trap in the connection to the air lock of each dosing tank, open to the other dosing tank to be closed and opened by liquid therein, and means to discharge air from the respective air locks.

4. In a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for the discharge of liquid therefrom', an air lock controlling the feed to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber'to'the respec-V tive air locks for supplying air to the latter, a U-shaped trap in veach said connection dependinginto the other dosing tank Aand having an opening therein whereby the liquid in the last said dosing tank may Vopen and close said traps, and mea-ns to discharge air from the respective air locks.

5. In a dosing system of the class 'described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging liquid therefrom, an air lock controlling the feed tor each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber to the` respective air locks for supplying` air to the latter, a 'U- shaped trap in each said connection tothe air lock of a dosing tank depending into the other dosing tank of the system, al U-shaped filling Vtrap therefor open to said last-inentioned tank, and means to discharge air from the respective air locks; I Y

6. In a dosing system of the 'class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging the liquid from the saine, an air lock controlling therfeed to cach tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chaniber'to the respective air locksfor supplyingair to the latter, means controlled by the level of the liquid in one of said dosino` tanks controlling the said air connections :for the air lock of the other dosing tank, and means to discharge -air from the air lock.

7. ln a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging liquid from the same, an air lock controlling the feed to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, means for supplying the respective air locks with air, a passage for relieving each air lock of air, a connection from each dosing tank to the corresponding air passagey whereby the liquid in the dosing tank may close saidair passage.`

8. In a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank, for discharging liquid from the same, an air lock controlling feed to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber .to the respective air locks for supplying air to the latter, an air outlet pipe for each air lock, a feed blowoff trap in each said outlet pipe open tothe corresponding` dosing tankwhereby said trap may be closed by the liquid from the dosing tank. y

9. In a' dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon rin each tank for discharging. the same, an air lock controlling feed to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber to the respective air locksrfor supplying air to the latter, an air outlet pipe for each air lock, a feed blow-off trap in said pipe, said trap being located in the corresponding dosing tank and opening up- `Ward into to same whereby the trap may be closed by liquid in said tank.

10. In a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in Vlet pipe for each air lock, a feed blow-off trap in said pipe opening into the corresponding dosing tank, a connection from the compression chamber to said feed blow-off trap whereby air from the compression chamber may be discharged through the trap to empty the same of liquid.

1l. In a dosing system of the class described, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging liquid from the same, an air lock controlling the feed to each tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compression chamber to the respective air locks forvsupplying air to the latter, switch` traps in the respective connections, a connection from each dosing tank to the air supply connection for the air lock of the other dosing tank whereby liquid from Athe first said tank controls the supply of air to the other said tank, an air outlet pipe for each air lock, a feed blow-olin trap in said pipe, and a connection from thecorresponding dosing tank whereby the liquid therein controls the passage of the feed blow-off trap. l

l2. in a dosing system of the class den scribed, a pair of dosing tanks, a siphon in each tank for discharging the same, an air lock controlling the feed to ea ch tank, a compression chamber connected to the outlets of both siphons, connections from the compres sion chamber Ato the respective air locks for supplying air to the latter, a trapin theA connection to the air. lock of each dosing tank, said trap being located in the other dosing tank and arranged to be closed and opened by the liquid therein, an air outlet pipe for each air lock, a feed blow-olf trap in said pipe located in the corresponding dosing tank, and a connection from the c'ompression chamber to said feed blow-o trap whereby air from said chamber may be discharged through the trap to empty the same. HUBERT BEDDOES. JAMES W. COX. 

